In May 2024, Vinnik admitted conspiracy to commit money laundering. His lawyer, Arkady Bukh, said he pleaded guilty on a restricted number of charges which indicated a plea bargain to reduce his jail term to less than 10 years, amid the prospect that it could have been several times longer.

The United States is preparing to return cybercrime kingpin Alexander Vinnik to Russian custody as part of an exchange for American Marc Fogel, a U.S. official said Wednesday.